For Immediate Release                                      Contact: Leslie K. Paige 202-467-5334 
August 7, 2009

Pork Alert:  House Energy and Water

(Washington, D.C.) - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released its preliminary analysis of the House version of the fiscal year 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act.  There are 604 projects worth $574.4 million in this year’s version.  This represents a 7.8 percent decrease in the number of projects, and a 30 percent decrease in the total dollar amount from the fiscal year 2009 version, which had 655 projects totaling $821 million.  House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) had nine projects worth $16.5 million and House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) had six projects worth $10.5 million.

Here are some examples of pork found in the bill:

• $2,000,000 by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for the Fort Mason Pier 2 Project in San Francisco, located in her congressional district.  On July 14, 2009, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) offered an amendment to strike the project from the bill.  The amendment failed by a vote of 125-301.    
  
• $1,500,000 by House appropriator Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) for advanced materials research at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).  Listed among NIAR’s “clients” are major aerospace companies, who should have paid for this program.
  
• $700,000 by Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) for a compressed natural gas fueling facility.  According to Rep. Blunt’s website, funding will be used “to construct a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel station for use by Local, County and State agencies to refuel CNG vehicles.”
  
• $500,000 by House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) and Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) for the Newark Museum alternative energy enhancement program.  The museum charges $10 in general admission fees.  Newark Museum Deputy Director of Marketing and Public Relations Mark Albin has stated the museum brings 300,000 people into downtown Newark each year.  The museum could charge an additional $1.67 per general admissions ticket and avoid saddling federal taxpayers, most of whom are unlikely to ever visit the facility.
  
• $200,000 by Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) for advanced battery manufacturing.  Rep. Perriello addressed battery manufacturing on July 18, 2009 on the DailyProgress.com website, stating, “By spurring innovation for clean energy right here in the 5th District, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and regain American’s competitive advantage.”  Yes, that earmark should definitely do the trick. 

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.

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